[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 68 (Thursday, April 8, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Page 18655]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E4-782]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket Nos. 50-369 and 50-370]


Duke Energy Corporation, McGuire Nuclear Station, Units 1 and 2; 
Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact

    The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is considering 
issuance of an exemption from title 10 of the Code of Federal 
Regulations (10 CFR) part 73, Appendix B, section I.B.b(1), ``Vision,'' 
for Renewed Facility Operating License Nos. NPF-9 and NPF-17, issued to 
Duke Energy Corporation (the licensee), for operation of the McGuire 
Nuclear Station, Units 1, and 2, (McGuire) located in Mecklenburg 
County, North Carolina. Therefore, as required by 10 CFR 51.21, the NRC 
is issuing this environmental assessment and finding of no significant 
impact.

Environmental Assessment

Identification of the Proposed Action

    The proposed action would grant an exemption from the requirements 
of 10 CFR part 73, Appendix B, section I.B.b(1), ``Vision.'' The 
proposed action is in accordance with the licensee's application dated 
June 12, 2003, that is being withheld from public disclosure pursuant 
to 10 CFR 2.390(a)(6). It is being withheld from public disclosure 
because it contains information about an employee's personnel and 
medical records, a disclosure of which would constitute a clearly 
unwarranted invasion of privacy.
    The NRC staff's Safety Evaluation will be issued along with the 
exemption; it will be withheld from public disclosure because it also 
contains information about an employee's personnel and medical records.

The Need for the Proposed Action

    The proposed action is needed so that the licensee can institute 
some specified action for a particular individual. Providing additional 
information pertaining to the need for the proposed action would 
require discussing information about the employee's personnel and 
medical records. The NRC staff has determined that granting the 
exemption will not jeopardize the health and safety of the public or 
endanger security operations, and approval of the proposed exemption 
not be inimical to the common defense and security or to the health and 
safety of the public. The basis for this determination will be provided 
in a Safety Evaluation that will be an enclosure to the exemption. This 
Safety Evaluation will be withheld from public disclosure because it 
contains information about an employee's personnel and medical records.

Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action

    The NRC has completed its evaluation of the proposed action and 
concludes that there are no environmental impacts.
    The proposed action will not significantly increase the probability 
or consequences of accidents, no changes are being made in the types of 
effluents that may be released off-site, and there is no significant 
increase in occupational or public radiation exposure. Therefore, there 
are no significant radiological environmental impacts associated with 
the proposed action.
    With regard to potential nonradiological impacts, the proposed 
action does not have a potential to affect any historic sites. It does 
not affect nonradiological plant effluents and has no other 
environmental impact. Therefore, there are no significant 
nonradiological environmental impacts associated with the proposed 
action.
    Accordingly, the NRC concludes that there are no significant 
environmental impacts associated with the proposed action.

Environmental Impacts of the Alternatives to the Proposed Action

    As an alternative to the proposed action, the staff considered 
denial of the proposed action (i.e., the ``no-action'' alternative). 
Denial of the application would result in no change in current 
environmental impacts. The environmental impacts of the proposed action 
and the alternative action are similar.

Alternative Use of Resources

    The action does not involve the use of any different resource than 
those previously considered in NUREG-0063, ``Final Environmental 
Statement Related to the Operation of William B. McGuire Nuclear 
Station, Units 1 and 2,'' April 1976, and the Addendum to NUREG-0063 
issued in January 1981; and in NUREG-1437, ``Generic Environmental 
Impact Statement for License Renewal of Nuclear Plants, Supplement 8, 
Regarding McGuire Nuclear Station, Units 1 and 2, Final Report,'' dated 
December 2002.

Agencies and Persons Consulted

    On March 29, 2004, the NRC staff consulted with the South Carolina 
State official, Mr. Virgil Autry of the Department of Health and 
Environmental Controls, regarding the environmental impact of the 
proposed action. The State official had no comments.

Finding of No Significant Impact

    On the basis of the environmental assessment, the NRC concludes 
that the proposed action will not have a significant effect on the 
quality of the human environment. Accordingly, the NRC has determined 
not to prepare an environmental impact statement for the proposed 
action.

    Dated in Rockville, Maryland, this 2nd day of April, 2004.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Edwin M. Hackett,
Project Director, Project Directorate II, Division of Licensing Project 
Management, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
 [FR Doc. E4-782 Filed 4-7-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P